


faulty timers

by flowersandsunshine



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, lightly christmas themed, love square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21840817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersandsunshine/pseuds/flowersandsunshine
Summary: a soulmate-au where your timer counts down to when you and your soulmate have a mutual love realization™. marinette and adrien's timers keep adding time and they don't know why.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 30
Kudos: 576





	faulty timers

**Author's Note:**

> a christmas gift for @thewritewolf on tumblr!! i hope you enjoy!

“I don’t understand what’s happening to me,” Marinette bemoaned to Alya, flinging herself down onto her bed and covering her face. “My timer used to say we would fall in mutual love yesterday, and now it’s changed to three days from now. This isn’t the first time this has happened, either.”

Alya patted her head and nodded sympathetically. “That’s rough, buddy.”

Rolling her eyes, Marinette pulled her pillow over her face. “Alya,” she whined. “I thought Adrien was going to fall in love with me yesterday. I was so excited. And now I have to wait for three more days, again! Has this kind of thing ever happened to anyone before?” 

Alya shrugged. “I haven’t heard of timers changing before, no. Maybe I could do some research and look into it.” 

Marinette smiled at the new light in her best friend’s eyes. “Well, if you do find some indication that someone else has had a changing timer before, would you let me know? It would be nice to know I’m not alone.”

“I’m sure you’re not alone,” Alya said. “And, hey, maybe the soulmate system is just trying to give you a Christmas miracle!” 

Rolling her eyes again, Marinette lightly shoved her best friend. “Stop. I would rather have had our mutual love realization yesterday and not have to wait for it to be on Christmas and a ‘miracle’.” 

“You just have to hold on, girl,” Alya said, wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. “I know you and Adrien are meant to be. It’s so obvious. But for some reason, something is getting in the way of your mutual love realization. Which sucks. But you’ll get there.”

“I guess.” Marinette shrugged. “I just have to wait?” She peeked up through her lashes at Alya’s face. 

“You just have to wait.”

Marinette groaned. “But waiting is so hard!” She threw herself back down on the bed amidst Alya’s laughter. 

\---

“Plagg, I don’t understand.” Adrien frowned and looked at his wrist where his timer had, once again, changed days. “It used to say that I would have my mutual love realization yesterday. But it’s different now.”

Plagg floated in front of him, a bored expression on his face. “So?” 

“So, I’ve never heard of anything like this.” His frown deepened as he pulled out his phone. “Plus, I was really hoping Ladybug would realize how she felt about me yesterday, but she didn’t, and now… now I have to wait again.” 

Spinning in the air, Plagg laughed. “Who knows? Maybe it’s a good thing you two didn’t have your mutual love realization.” 

“What?” Adrien’s head snapped up from his phone and he glared at Plagg. “It’s a good thing that the love of my life and I didn’t get our acts together? It’s a good thing that I have to wait longer to be with her? It’s a good thing that even now, three years later, Ladybug hasn’t realized how she feels about me?” 

Plagg shrugged. 

Frowning again, Adrien did a quick Google search, looking for other people who have had faulty timers. “Seriously, though,” he said as the page loaded, “why would my timer change? What could possibly cause that?” 

“I blame the baker girl,” Plagg said casually, peering over Adrien’s shoulder at the results. 

Adrien almost choked on his own spit. “Marinette?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the tiny god. “Why her?” 

Plagg just shrugged again, a small smile on his face. 

Rolling his eyes, Adrien looked back at his phone. There were plenty of articles about people with faulty timers, but after a quick scan through the major headlines, he sighed. “I don’t think anybody’s ever had a timer that continuously pushed out the date like mine does.” 

Falling back onto his bed, Adrien closed his eyes. “Oh, My Lady,” he whispered, “why don’t you love me?” 

“Sap,” Plagg hissed. 

Adrien threw his pillow at him. 

\---

“You ready, girl?” Alya asked. “Your timer is due to run out in three minutes and Adrien is right there.” Reaching out, she turned Marinette’s shoulders to face the area where Adrien was standing, talking to Nino. 

“I’m not ready,” Marinette breathed, her heart rate spiking. “I can’t do this, Alya.”

“Yes, you can!” Alya said. “You can do anything you set your mind to, because you’re Marinette freaking Dupain-Cheng! I super believe in you, Tad Cooper!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Of all the times to throw in a useless fandom reference,” she whispered. 

“And… go!” Alya pushed Marinette towards the boys. 

With unwilling feet, Marinette marched forward, her mind numb. She watched, barely registering, as first Nino, then Adrien, looked over. Both boys acknowledged her presence with a wave and a smile. Marinette smiled back. 

“Hey, dude,” Nino said as Marinette got closer. “How’s it hanging?” 

“Good,” she squeaked. 

“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien said, a soft smile on his face. 

“H-hi, Adrien,” she said quietly. 

Nino glanced between the two of them before raising his eyebrows. “Well, I’m going to go make out with my girlfriend,” he said, his voice uncomfortably loud. “You two dudes have fun.” 

Marinette barely registered as Nino disappeared. “Hi,” she said again. 

“Hi,” Adrien said. He blinked, looking slightly confused. 

“Um, Merry almost-Christmas,” Marinette said. 

“Thank you!” He smiled, a genuine smile, before pursing his lips. “Have you seen Ladybug anywhere?” 

She felt her smile fall as she froze. “What? Ladybug? Why? For what, um, purpose, do you want m-Ladybug?” 

Adrien looked frozen, as well. “No, no reason,” he said. “No purpose. I was just… you know, making conversation.”

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.”

Silence. 

Marinette kind of wanted to melt into the floor. Surely, her timer was out by now? Could she sneak a peek without Adrien noticing? What if he did notice? What if he thought she was stalking him by making sure they were in the right place together at the right time? Oh, no, what if he thought she was just another creepy fangirl who was stalking him around Paris, and, even worse, around school? Oh, this was a disaster! Everything was going wrong! What was with her timer, though? Did it even work? Or was she doomed to spend the rest of her life, her soulmate tantalizingly just out of reach? Did—

Marinette was yanked from her catastrophizing when Adrien lifted his hand, turning it so he could glance at his wrist. Where his soulmark should be. 

What. The actual. F—

She was startled from her train of thought by a loud blaring. 

Akuma. 

Again. 

Adrien was turning to look at her, his eyes wide as saucers. “Sorry, Marinette, gotta go,” he said, almost stumbling over his feet as he ran directly out the door, out of sight. 

Marinette just watched him run, her mouth wide open, before slowly lifting her wrist. Her timer was still counting down, but…

She groaned and walked towards the wall, ready to slam her head against it, but Alya was quicker, rushing over to put her hand in between Marinette’s forehead and the large, firm surface. “Timer changed again?” 

Marinette just nodded, forehead almost tickling as it rubbed against Alya’s hand. “It added another hour.”

“Sorry, Mari,” Alya said sympathetically. “I don’t know what to tell you. What did Adrien say before the akuma alert?” 

“He just asked me if I had seen Ladybug anywhere,” Marinette groaned, sliding down against the wall, Alya following willingly. “And I said no, and… Alya, why did he want to know if I had seen Ladybug?” 

Marinette was surprised when guilt flashed over Alya’s expression. “Um, I don’t know,” Alya said, too quickly. She glanced away. 

“Alya,” Marinette said calmly, “what do you know that I don’t know?” 

Eyes darting frantically around the room, Alya jumped to her feet. “Oh, wait, I have to go to the akuma attack!” she said loudly. “Nino!”

In a flash, Nino was standing next to her, smiling. “Yeah, dude?” 

“Let’s go!” Alya grabbed his arm and yanked him away and out the same door that Adrien had exited through. 

Marinette sighed. “Tikki?” 

Floating into view, Tikki was frowning. “Marinette, that was weird.”

“I know.” Marinette pursed her lips and thought. “Tikki… this is almost too awful, but… what if…” She lowered her voice, glancing around the room. “What if, um, Adrien… is…” 

“In love with Ladybug—”

“Hawkmoth—”

Marinette and Tikki stared at each other. 

“You think Adrien is Hawkmoth?” Tikki asked after a moment of silence. 

“You think he’s in love with Ladybug?” Marinette shrieked. 

“Why would Adrien be Hawkmoth?” 

“He always disappears during akuma attacks, he had the book—the book!—he just suspiciously asked where Ladybug was right before an akuma attack happened… I don’t know,” Marinette said, starting to feel frustrated. “It lines up. But also, Adrien is too good for this world, but I know that could all be an act, but I don’t think he would actually harm anyone, but I have to consider all possibilities… oh, shit, I’m supposed to be Ladybug right now!” With a start, she jumped to her feet. “Tikki, spo—”

“Marinette,” Tikki interrupted her, “before you do anything foolish, like tell Chat Noir you think Adrien is Hawkmoth—”

“I have to! It’s my responsibility!” Marinette frowned. “Tikki, spots on!” 

With a pink flash, Ladybug had transformed and was ready for action. With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out her yoyo. Running out the door where her friends had all taken off, she threw out her yoyo, flying into the air towards the screams and shouts in the distance. 

\---

Chat Noir was surprised by how quickly Ladybug had come in and defeated the akuma. She had wasted no time, coming in, calling for her lucky charm, and catching the butterfly. 

It was kind of miraculous, if he was being honest. 

“Pound it,” they said in unison, knocking their fists together. 

“Well, m’lady,” Chat started. 

“Chat, I need to talk to you,” she said hurriedly. 

Chat felt his heart rate pick up at her words. “What’s wrong?” 

She glanced around before wrapping her arm around his waist, propelling them to a distant rooftop. Setting them down gently, she took a deep breath. 

Chat Noir just waited. 

“Okay. I was just talking to Adrien Agreste, like, right before the akuma attacked,” Ladybug said after a moment’s silence, “and he said something that made me wonder if… if… if hemaybemightbeHawkmoth.”

Chat just blinked at her. 

“I know it sounds crazy—model boy, model citizen, perfect human is moonlighting as Hawkmoth,” she continued, flailing her arms around, “but I think it must actually be true! There’s not really another explanation for the crazy, sudden disappearances during class, or for him having that book that he showed Lila, or for why he wanted to know where Ladybug was today right when an akuma was attacking.” Ladybug turned and looked him full in the face, her eyes pleading. “What do you think? Am I crazy?” 

Feeling rather shaky, Chat lifted his hand and looked at his wrist. 

It was glowing. 

“Marinette,” he whispered, looking at her face. 

She was frozen. 

“Marinette,” he said, a little bit louder. He placed his hand gently on her cheek. “Oh, it’s you.”

“What?” she whispered. “What… Chat Noir, what are you talking about?” 

“I love you,” he said softly. “I’m so happy it’s you.”

“What?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch. She lifted her own hand and circled her fingers lightly around his wrist. “Did… we… I’m not in love with you so this can’t be a mutual love realization… Wait, no, we were discussing something…”

Chat Noir smiled. “Claws in.”

Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut. “Chat!” she gasped. “You can’t!”

“Marinette, it’s okay,” he said, rubbing his now-bare hand over her cheek. “It’s me.”

“I—our identities—”

“Mari.” Adrien stepped a little bit closer to her. “It’s okay.”

She sighed. “Okay.”

Adrien caught his breath and waited. 

\---

Biting her lip, Ladybug took another deep breath. “Um, spots off,” she whispered. She detransformed, feeling the power leave her, before slowly opening her eyes. 

A black shirt was right in front of her. With a few lines of color on it. 

“If it helps,” Chat Noir said, still standing so close to her she couldn’t see his face without looking up, “your wrist? It’s glowing.”

Marinette’s breath caught in her throat as she looked down at her wrist. “Oh, my god,” she said, looking at the green light emanating from it. “Chat, we’re… soulmates?” 

“Yeah.” He sounded breathless. “Marinette, please. Look at me.”

She bit her lip again before slowly lifting her head. 

“Hi.” Adrien was smiling down at her. 

“Oh,” Marinette breathed. “Hi.”

He reached behind her, lightly tugging on her hair. “I know I already said it, but I’m glad it’s you.”

“Adrien,” she said. “Oh, Adrien. It’s you.” 

He let go of her pigtail and waved, a sheepish smile on his face. “Not Hawkmoth.” 

Marinette let out a short, distracted laugh, her eyes trained on the pink light coming from his wrist. “Not Hawkmoth. Chat Noir.” 

“Yeah.” He reached over and took her hand. “And we’re…”

“Soulmates.” Marinette laughed again. “Oh, and here I thought you were… oh, you were in love with Ladybug.”

“That’s why I was asking for her,” Adrien said. “Not because I wanted to take her miraculous.”

“And all the times our timers switched around…” Marinette thought for a moment, looking down at their connected hands. “We just needed to reveal ourselves to each other.” 

“To think, all those times I thought I needed Ladybug to fall in love with me, and all I needed to do was be Adrien Agreste,” Adrien said, winking at her. 

Marinette’s mouth fell open and she knew her face was red enough to rival her Ladybug suit. “I…”

“And,” he added, leaning his face closer to hers, “I needed to recognize what a treasure Marinette Dupain-Cheng was. I can’t believe it took me this long to realize who you were.” 

Raising an eyebrow, Marinette put her finger on his nose, pushing his face away from hers. “I can’t believe all I needed to do was accidentally accuse you of being Hawkmoth.”

“Yeah, what’s with your obsession with my family and Hawkmoth, anyway?” Adrien asked, stepping back slightly. “First my dad, now me.”

Marinette shrugged. “The book?” 

He was silent for a moment before he shrugged, too. “We can figure all that out later. For now, I’m glad I found my bugaboo.”

Groaning, Marinette covered her face with her free hand. “I can’t believe the boy I’m in love with has been calling me bugaboo for years.”

Adrien was silent. 

Slowly, Marinette uncovered her face, glancing at Adrien. “Are you…” 

She paused, taking in his red face. 

“I… you love me?” he asked after a moment. 

“Oh,” she said. “Yeah.”

Adrien’s face lit up. He smiled, a huge, unrestrained smile that Marinette had never seen on his face before. (Chat Noir’s face, yes, but never Adrien’s.) “Marinette,” he murmured, leaning over to rest his chin on her head. “I love you, too.”

She was sure she was going to either burst into flames, or faint, or both. “Oh,” she said quietly. “I… that’s good.”

He chuckled, jostling her head slightly with the movement. “Yes, it is. Very good.” 

They stood like that for a moment quietly, their hands intertwined, his chin on her head—not quite hugging, not yet. Marinette wasn’t sure she could handle that yet, anyway. 

“Hey,” a voice yelled from down at the street level, interrupting them. “Hey, you two.”

Marinette drew back from Adrien reluctantly, recognizing the voice and not feeling ready to explain. She peeked over the edge of the roof and grinned, a little sheepish. “Hi, Alya. Hi, Nino.”

“Hey, dudes,” Nino said back calmly. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced at Alya. 

Marinette winced when she took in Alya’s posture. She looked like she was about to fly apart, she was so full of energy. “What’s up, Alya?” 

“Sorry to interrupt you two, lovers,” Alya said, stressing the last word, “but I have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time, and if you don’t get down here and explain what the heck happened, I’ll come up there and wring it out of you myself.” 

“How’d you get up there, anyway?” Nino asked. 

Marinette frantically looked at Adrien. He just shrugged. 

“Fine, don’t tell me,” Alya yelled. “Just know I’m going to be very unhappy when I finally do get up there!” 

Marinette frowned at Adrien when he laughed. “She’s serious,” she said. 

“Oh, I know,” Adrien said. “But you have to admit that it’s funny.”

Marinette looked at him, his hair messed up from his wind, his eyes lit up with mischief, his glowing wrist catching the light. And she smiled. 

“Yeah,” she said, taking his hand again. “Yeah. It’s funny.”

And he smiled at her. 

\---

“What are they talking about up there?” Alya asked, resisting the urge to stomp her foot like a toddler. “I need to know!”

Nino just shrugged. “Maybe they’re just being dumb and in love. Remember when our wrists lit up?” 

Alya’s odd mood all but melted away as she smiled at him. “Yeah, I remember,” she said softly, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on his mouth. 

“Gross!” a voice said from above her. 

Alya glanced up at the roof and stuck her tongue out at Adrien. “Just for that, any time you try to kiss my best friend, I’m going to say gross in response!”

“Go for it,” Adrien yelled back, drawing Marinette into his side and sticking his tongue out at her in return. “See if I care.”

Alya laughed. “Seriously, though, you guys should come down from there so we can all talk about this.”

She was surprised when they gave each other slightly nervous looks. “What’s that about?” she whispered to Nino. 

He just shrugged again. “Maybe they’re Ladybug and Chat Noir and they have to transform to get down from there,” he said, a teasing tone in his voice. “Wouldn’t that be stupid?” 

Alya’s eyes widened as she pulled out her phone. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed. “Happy Christmas to me!” 

“Babe?” Nino asked. 

She started recording. “Hey, Ladybug, Chat Noir! Come down from there and talk to your best friends, you idiots!” She beamed when both of them openly jumped. “Oh, Nino, this is the best Christmas ever.”

He just laughed. “Sure, okay, Alya.” Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. 

“Gross,” Marinette said from above them.

**Author's Note:**

> i love me some fluff and some friendship themes


End file.
